Robinson

Crusoe Island
Quality
Audit
and
Resort
Assurance

Profile

courtesy :
http://www.robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com

Robinson Crusoe Island is a secluded

Fiji Beach Resort surrounded by a
beautiful lagoon, coral reefs, a long
white sandy beach, traditional
thatched Bures, island music, fresh
tropical fruits, fresh locally caught
fish and friendly pacific islanders.
It is located north of Natadola Beach
on Fiji's Coral Coast and only 40
minutes drive from Nadi, this 25 acre
island paradise lies only 10 minutes
across the bay from Viti Levu in calm
clear waters. Access is boat only and
includes a 30 minute river cruise
followed by a short trip across the
lagoon.

History has it that Likuri also known as Robinson Crusoe

Island has an amazing history which dates back 3,500 years to
when the First Polynesians landed their huge outrigger canoes
on the shores of the Fiji Islands. Since those early days Likuri
Island was used for traditional ceremonies and chiefly
gatherings. In fact it was almost solely used for the chief's
pleasure, a custom which was handed down from generation to
generation. Only recently has the island been opened up for
tourism thanks to the High Chief - Ka Levu Tui Nadroga and
the chiefly family who have become our partners in this very
successful eco cultural budget resort.
courtesy : http://www.robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com

SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Pristine, untapped natural environment
Quiet, get-away from the hustle and
bustle of everyday life

Weaknesses
Poor infrastructure (in terms of accommodation, bures, bar,
staff quarters and eatery shed). Prone to natural disasters
such as cyclones.
The long distance from mainland. Access is only by boat.
Poor stewardship which made the ride slow.
The use of small boats that is risky for hauling passengers.
Laxity and laid back attitude of staff.
Lack of wi-fi internet access.

 Poor security of luggage (no protection on boats could easily tip

overboard into the open sea and just left unattended near the
administration bure).
Lack of resources in terms of running water, not enough water
tanks for storage.
Lack of and poor quality safety and diving gear.
Not enough benches or seats.
Dirty, unkempt toilets and bathrooms.
No variety in activities for the guests. Unauthentic activities
such as turtle watching which was basically a prank.
Not enough staff to cater for large groups of guests.

Opportunities
Robinson Crusoe island has quite a large land mass that
has not been utilised to full potential where only the
beachfront is occupied while the rest of the area is
untapped. Greater innovation would help to produce new
products and services such as providing for more activities
like childrens playground; professional spa sessions for
adults, water activities such as jet-skiing, hiking/nature
walks around the island not just focus on beach area and
building of more dormitories and/or bures for
accommodation. Build a bigger jetty at drop off points
from mainland and on the shores of the island.

 Tie-up with corporate institutions to carry out marketing

campaigns such as promotion and holiday giveaways. This
would increase the number of visitors.
New technology would help to better meet customers
needs and the competitive edge. There should be more
effective use of social media. Presently only website and
email exists. Need to set up Facebook and Instagram
accounts to get interactive and real-time feedback from
guests and potential visitors about the products and
services.
The set up of a handicraft store so that it generates
income for the locals living there, contribute to the resorts
coffers and provide memorabilias for guests who visit the
island.

Threats
Other island resorts near the Coral Coast area and to the
North-West of Fiji namely Mamanuca and Yasawa group of
islands who have better facilities and integrated theme to
attract visitors are potential rivals e.g. Castaway Island
resort and Yasawa Island Resort.
In the absence of continuous innovation, there is no
incentive for second-time visits.
Infrastructure is a major drawback with limited and
primitive housing set-ups that seems not ideal for
overnight or long stay trips.
Bad weather or negative word of-mouth could affect
future arrivals of guests.

SERVQUAL
Analysis
A customer service satisfaction model that identified 5 different

dimensions used to evaluate a product or service by a customer.

SERVQUAL was designed to provide managers with a tool that they
could use to measure service quality within their company and then
develop ways to deal with any problems that arose.

These are (in reference to the resort):

Reliability whether the service was delivered on time or not.
Friendly and knowledgeable staff.
The guide was interacting with the guests in terms of making
them feel at ease by telling jokes.
The drawback was that the activities were not related and
organized in ad-hoc basis. The nature walk was not interesting. It
was different from what reviewers had talked about in tripadvisor
website.
False advertising e.g. turtle watching which was a prank put on
by the resort staff.
Programme of activities could be changed to suit the time and
weather that may prove inconvenient to the guests.

 The boat trip from the mainland to the island and back was slow. The
captain aside from explaining the safety tips, had no other information
to say when the ride had begun. The small boats were overloaded and
were a risk.
Responsiveness willing to assist customers in a manner that is
friendly and timely.
The staff were always more than eager to help guests in terms of giving
directions and walked around to ensure that everyone were satisfied
with their service.
Empathy whether the staff providing the service, understood the
needs of the customer or not.
They seemed to be overwhelmed by the number of guests present on
the island and were reserved in their responses except for the guide.

Assurance whether the employees had the required knowledge about

the service or not and was dependent on their character,
qualifications and skills.
The attitude present in all almost all staff and the activities they
conducted did show that they have been doing them for quite some
time and were skilled in them. Formal qualifications aside from the
administration personnel were not necessary.
Tangibles these are the physical surroundings i.e. buildings,
furniture, equipment.
The cutlery and utensils used were adequate. The food was excellent
considering it was cooked in earth oven (natural).
There was a presence of foliage and bush that gave an impression of
the naturalness.

 In terms of the boat transfers there was lack of communication from

the captain, there was overloading of passengers in the small boats
and that the ride was slow.
The facilities were unhygienic and not clean. These include the pool,
washrooms and the seats and tables, poor quality of swimming gear,
hammocks, lack of jetty.
The use of generator to power the operations and provide electricity
to the island and lack of water supply due to the distance in setting
up infrastructure.
Lack of staff to cater for the activities.
Degrading and poor quality of accommodation as in bures and
dormitories with sub-standard signs of workmanship visible.

 There doesnt seem to be activities organized for children

Lack of information on the activities being organized and no other
options were available to satisfy the guests.
Entertainment was in the form of fire dancing and multi-cultural
dances
False advertising e.g. turtle watching that was a prank put on by the
staff
Traditional i-Taukei food was served (lovo) with mixture of English
cuisine.
Drinks were expensive even water had to be purchased from the bar
to quench thirst. There were no complimentary beverages only
espresso coffee was served.

Action Plan
To improve the level and quality of service the following proposal is
designed according to areas most in need of urgent attention. These are the
physical environment, marketing, customer services and food and drinks
with entertainment. This is hoped to be effective by December 2017.

GOAL

Improve and
enhance the
physical space

OBJECTIVE

STRATEGY

TIMELI RESPONSIBIL
NE
ITY

To provide ease
and comfort for
the
guests/visitors.

9/2017

CRITICAL
SUCCESS
FACTOR
Upgrade and renovate the stay-in

bures and dormitories. Construction More

of new types such as villas. At least
overnight
20 units with different range of
stays
room capacity are needed.
Increase in
Upgrade pool, bar, administration
couple/family
office, washrooms, bush trails for
guests
hiking, more seats and benches to Repeat visits
be set up around the beachfront.
Overbooking
Establish subsidy schemes with
Obtain
local service companies to provide
international
fuel at lower cost to power the
star ratings
generator
Competitive
Establish renewable energy
rates
technologies such as solar panels.
introduced
Establish sewage plant to treat
Offer quality
waste water and more water tanks
amenities
to provide efficient supply.

Establish eco-tourism ventures

such as marine conservation parks.

Establish farms to service the
kitchen and promote local produce
in menu.

Management

Recommendat
ions

References
Kandampully, J. (2007). Services management. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson
Prentice Hall, pp. 88-89).
http://www.robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com